Highlights of 2019 and my ten most popular posts

New month, new year, new decade: it all seems just a little bit overwhelming - especially the new decade part. Ten years seems like a long time but, looking back, it feels as if they have just flown by. A decade ago, I had a cute, chubby four-year old who followed me everywhere and made me tell him stories before he fell asleep. Now he's gangly, occasionally pimply, but still cute. The requests for stories at bedtime have stopped though and he loves to push all my buttons but we (mostly) get along.

Don't worry, I'm not going to review the whole decade that we've just buried in tinsel and confetti. Most of it was just run-of-the-mill, as most of our lives are. I'm not ever going to pretend otherwise since I'm not Kim Kardashian. But in my very ordinary life, there are always some sweet moments to treasure and that I would like to share with my readers. Last year's first post was 2018: my year in pictures. I was hoping to start this year off with something similar, but in 2019 I really did not take too many photos. I was still trying to get used to my new camera and had lost a lot of my old confidence so the number of pictures I took really went down until I got the hang of it again late in the year. This year, instead of a review of the past 12 months, I shall just share a few events that were important to me.

In  February, our Mischief Maker turned 13 and we threw a party for him and his closest friends. After a round of  laser tag at LaserMaxx we treated them to burgers and cake at the Hard Rock Cafe.

In March and November I went on a business trip to Ulm in Germany's Bavaria region. During both trips I had just enough time to explore this small city for a couple of hours. I instantly developed a huge crush on its Hansel and Gretel-like houses and Gothic church that boasts the tallest steeple in the world.

We visited the US in July and, as usual, took a side trip together with a number of day trips. This time round we went to Springfield (IL) - the home of Abraham Lincoln, Indianapolis, Louisville (KY) and Le Claire (IA). We stopped in St Louis for a few days to visit family and then drove to the north of Missouri to stay with my in-laws. Once we were there we made the almost-obligatory visit to Hannibal.

My husband took part in two different art exhibitions at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat in March and in June. He is very talented and I am in awe of his paintings since I can't draw or paint anything (except walls) to save my life. It was a great experience for him and he got to meet a number of other artists. Maybe one day I'll improve my photography enough to take part in something similar (that's just one of my wild dreams).

Unfortunately, we didn't go on too many hikes last year but we did walk down a ravine (it was really not as difficult as it sounds) to the wild sea at  Migra Ferha. It was fun and I hope we get to do it again soon. We really need to get off the couch and get around more.

Conversely, sitting on the couch ensured that I did a lot of reading. I managed to read 22 books last year which is the most books I have read since I got married. In the coming weeks I plan to do a post about #myyearinbooks based on my statistics in my Goodreads app.

At the beginning of December we went to two Christmas markets: the Malta Artisans Market at Palazzo Parisio and the Natalis Notabilis Market. Then, at the end of December, we paid a visit to the Inquisitor's Palace that was hosting a special exhibition: The Inquisitor's Porcelain. The exhibition was interesting but the history of the palace and the inquisition is even more so. I will try to share more about this very unique place at a later date.

Other activities during 2019 were mostly humdrum: swimming in summer, baking some mouth-watering new cakes and discovering new (to us) eateries like La Vecchia Taranto and Sotto Pizzeria in Valletta, and Root 81 in Rabat. And that's about that for 2019 but before I go I would like to share my 10 most popular posts of the year (just in case you missed some of them):

10. Back home and feeling human again
This was the first thing I wrote when we got back from the US.
 9. Book talk: Books I read this winter
A round-up of the books I read during the winter months.
 8. February faves
A few of my favourite things about February.
 7. Book talk: Books I read for a book challenge
A review of some books I read for an interesting book challenge.
 6. How to beat the winter blues
Some tips about how to make your own sunshine.
 5. Ten beautiful places in Italy

Oh Italy! My heart sings whenever I think of this beautiful country that is our close neighbour. It        was hard choosing just ten places so I am sure more posts similar to this one will follow in the          future.

 4. Malta in a Minute: St Agatha's tower
A very short read about this iconic blood-red tower in the north of Malta.
 3. August round-up and faves
A few of my favourite things about August.
 2. Malta in a Minute: Santo Spirito hospital
Also a short read - this time about the first hospital in Malta.
 1. April faves
A few of my favourite things about April.

Talk to you all soon.